It's the end of the world as we know it... and we feel... fine?
2018 is a season of transition for the Royals, or at least it is at this point. Dayton Moore is back. Will he swing full into THE PROCESS 2.0? Or will he try to load up again and make some reload magic happen?
Pending Free Agents:
1B | Eric Hosmer | San Diego Padres, 8 years, $144 million ($5 million signing bonus; $20 million/year in Yrs 1-5; $13 million/year in Yrs 6-8 wth player opt out)
Spoiler!
(DI's Guess: Texas Rangers, 6, $118 million)
3B | Mike Moustaskas | Kansas City Royas, 1, $6.5 million
Spoiler!
(DI's Guess: Los Angeles Angels, 5, $98 million)
CF | Lorenzo Cain | Milwaukee Brewers, 5 years, $80 million
Spoiler!
(DI's Guess: San Francisco Giants, 4, $68 million)
RP | Mike Minor | Texas Rangers, 3, $28 million
Spoiler!
(DI's Guess: Los Angeles Angels, 3, $35 million+ $12 million team option
SP | Jason Vargas | New York Mets, 2, $16 million
Spoiler!
(DI's Guess: Baltimore Orioles, 2, $29 million)
SS | Alcides Escobar | Kansas City Royals, 1, $2.5 million
In case I, picks would be #32, 33, and 34, if Alex Cobb of Rays signs for $50 million guaranteed.
Kansas City will likely have 5 of the top 40-45 picks in the draft, and the bonus pool money should rival that of the teams drafting 1-3 in the 2017 draft. This should give KC tremendous flexibility in acquiring talent that otherwise might slip or not be "signable."
2018 Draft Names to Watch
RHP Kumar Rocker, N Oconnee HS, Georgia.
Spoiler!
Possibly goes top 10 but is a big, physical SP with ace potential. Moore and co. will be all over him if he slips a bit and could offer top 10 money at No. 16
OF Jarred Kelenic, Waukasha West HS, WI
Spoiler!
Kelenic is the top prep bat, toolsy OF. Royals would be ecstatic to have shot at him.
1B Triston Casas, American Heritage HS (FL).
Spoiler!
Tremendous raw power, best in HS bats. Royals typically like HS arms or HS bats with "special" tools. He qualifies.
RHP Carter Stewart, Eau de Gallie HS (Ga).
Spoiler!
Another big, physical specimen with huge upside. More likely to be available mid-first than Rocker.
ANY Any, Any (Any). Any current top projected pick who slides for injury concerns. Includes current top prospect prospect SP Brady Singer, U of Florida. [Reply]
I was never a huge fan of players like Moss, but I think Royals fans are way too hard on him. He was pretty much what we signed, a guy who strikes out a ton, hits for low average, but can pop 30 HR. And he started slowly like the rest of the team, but otherwise he delivered exactly what we paid for.
Stinks to give up Buchter but I don't know what the A's were thinking with this deal. They're a low budget team who added $5 million in salary, and for what? Moss did have some good times with them before.
If the Royals do not get Hosmer, we're going to have a hole at 1B to fill now, unless Dozier steps it up. [Reply]
Originally Posted by :
But even before Monday’s trade, one source said the Padres believed the Royals may have made a more lucrative proposal to Hosmer.
The Padres’ offer, extended weeks ago, is for seven years and less than $140 million, though the exact margin remains unknown. A report that the Royals offered seven years and $147 million has been refuted, but team officials have been public about their interest in retaining Hosmer.
The Padres have not indicated much willingness to alter their offer.
“I think we were pretty creative in the way we put a contract proposal together,” Executive Chairman Ron Fowler said in a recent radio interview. “We like it. I don’t know if (agent Scott Boras) likes it.”
If negotiations come down to a relatively small sum, the Padres may be open to tweaking their terms, according to sources. A significant overhaul seems unlikely.
Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud:
This is the best course of action for 2018, IMO.
I don't understand how paying Hosmer $20 million per year changes the composition of this team from 2018-2020.
In a full on rebuild, he'd be the "Old Guy" in 2021 or 2022 or however long it takes them to get back to being a division winner.
I don't see the upside or dividend.
I actually completely agree with you.
The best move would be to trade Whit, Herrera, and Duffy and utilize all three comp picks (with the competitive balance pick) to load up our system. As someone who loved following the Royals system from 09-13 it feels like a necessary part of the cycle for small market teams to stay competitive. I truly wish the Royals would have traded Alexander for actual talent, rather than pairing him with a bargain bin drop off like Soria.
Originally Posted by KChiefs1:
I'd trade Duffy & Merrifield to the Brewers for the best talent. I've heard they have a great farm system.
Absolutely. That's a storybook pairing from the team that delivered us Cain, Esky and Odo for Greinke. [Reply]
Originally Posted by duncan_idaho:
Hosmer would play those seasons at ages 31 and 32. The team clearly is more optimistic about his ability to age better than this board's consensus.
That's not ancient, but those ARE likely to be the beginning of some decline years.
They were wrong about Gordon aging well. That contract is kinda biting them in the ass. Good thing he's a badass in the field. [Reply]